Assessment of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in eggs of waterbirds from South China

Concentrations of total polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Ardeid eggs from Hong Kong, Xiamen and Quanzhou in south China ranged from 140-1000, 30-550 and 140-380ngg(-1), lipid wt., respectively. There were spatial and interspecies variations in the abundance and congeneric profiles of PBDEs. The different congeneric profiles observed among the study sites may be associated with the developmental phases of the cities, as well as a possible consequence of debromination of BDE209. Marked concentrations of higher-brominated diphenyl ethers (BDEs 183, 196, 197, 206, 207 and 209) were detected in the egg samples from all sites, probably indicating uptake of BDE209 by top predators, and that there is widespread occurrence of BDE209 in south China. Comparisons of egg concentrations of BDEs 47, 99, 153 and 209 with tentative critical concentrations for neurobehavioral effects and oxidative stress indicated some potential risks for BDE99 and BDE209 in the Ardeid populations.     

Phototransformation of herbicide metsulfuron methyl

Phototransformation of the herbicide metsulfuron methyl was investigated on glass surface under sunlight and ultraviolet (UV) light and compared with dark condition. The half-lives of metsulfuron methyl under UV light and sunlight were found to be 0.5 and 7.8 days respectively. Rate of phototransformation followed first order kinetics with significant correlation coefficient. The major photoproducts were identified as methyl-2-sulfonyl-amino-benzoate, 2-amino-6-methoxy-4-methyltriazine and saccharin (O-sulfobenzoimide). Various metabolites from this study were identified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Authentic samples required for HPLC comparison were prepared in laboratory and characterized on the basis of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infra red (IR) spectral data. These metabolites were also identified from metsulfuron methyl treated wheat field soil.     

Exposure of PM2.5 and EC from diesel and gasoline vehicles in communities near the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach,California

The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the entry point for almost half of all cargo containers entering the United States. The use of diesel trucks to move Port-related goods has raised significant public health concerns associated with black carbon and other air pollutants. It is difficult to reliably estimate people's exposure to vehicle-related pollutants due to the narrow impact zone of traffic, usually within 200–300 m downwind of major roadways. Previous studies suffer from the lack of traffic count data on surface streets and the lack of neighborhood-level population data. We examined seasonal and annual average exposures of particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM_2.5) and elemental carbon (EC) at a neighborhood scale for communities heavily impacted by diesel trucks near these ports. We assembled a traffic-activity database that distinguishes gasoline and diesel vehicles on both freeways and surface streets, by consolidating information from several sources, including our own field measurements. The CALINE4 model was used to estimate residential exposure of the study population to PM_2.5 and EC. Parcel property data were used to allocate Census block group (BG) population to increase spatial resolution. The annual average PM_2.5 and EC exposure due to local traffic was 3.8 and 0.4 μg m^?3, respectively. On average, surface streets contributed a little more than freeways (55% vs. 45% for EC and 57% and 43% for PM_2.5). Light-duty vehicles contributed significantly more than heavy-duty trucks for PM_2.5 (61% vs. 39%), but slightly less than heavy-duty trucks for EC (49% vs. 51%). Community mean population exposure was similar using parcel, census block, and BG population data, but extreme values and standard deviations varied significantly at different spatial resolutions. The intake fraction for the study population was in the range of 1.0–2.2 × 10^?5 by vehicle type, roadway type, and season.     

Retrieval of Carbon monoxide profiles over Indian region using MOPITT data

Vertical profiles of carbon monoxide (CO) over the Indian region have scarcely been monitored. Satellite sensor, Measurement Of Pollution In The Troposphere (MOPITT) provides profiles of CO using a global retrieval scheme, which converts measured radiances to CO mixing ratios. In this study we have developed a regional retrieval scheme, valid over the Indian region, which employs Line-By-Line (LBL) calculations over a tropical model atmosphere to generate a Look-Up-Table (LUT) forward model function and uses a regional a priori dataset of CO along with seasonally variable emissivity to invert the MOPITT radiances to CO profiles. This baseline study provides an approach to optimizing retrievals for specific regional applications. A case study was carried out over a forest fire prone region in Northern India from February to April 2005 to validate the retrieval algorithm. The results are in agreement with the fire maps generated from MODerate resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS). The shape of the CO profiles over the region matches quite well with the vertical structure of CO during the INDOEX campaign, especially during the polluted month of April. Inter-comparisons with the MOPITT data product indicate some discrepancies in the lower troposphere, especially during the forest fire season. Future studies with in-situ measurements may be able to diagnose these disparities.     

Arsenic and copper stabilisation in a contaminated soil by coal fly ash and green waste compost

In situ metal stabilisation by amendments has been demonstrated as an appealing low-cost remediation strategy for contaminated soil. This study investigated the short-term leaching behaviour and long-term stability of As and Cu in soil amended with coal fly ash and/or green waste compost. Locally abundant inorganic (limestone and bentonite) and carbonaceous (lignite) resources were also studied for comparison. Column leaching experiments revealed that coal fly ash outperformed limestone and bentonite amendments for As stabilisation. It also maintained the As stability under continuous leaching of acidic solution, which was potentially attributed to high-affinity adsorption, co-precipitation, and pozzolanic reaction of coal fly ash. However, Cu leaching in the column experiments could not be mitigated by any of these inorganic amendments, suggesting the need for co-addition of carbonaceous materials that provides strong chelation with oxygen-containing functional groups for Cu stabilisation. Green waste compost suppressed the Cu leaching more effectively than lignite due to the difference in chemical composition and dissolved organic matter. After 9-month soil incubation, coal fly ash was able to minimise the concentrations of As and Cu in the soil solution without the addition of carbonaceous materials. Nevertheless, leachability tests suggested that the provision of green waste compost and lignite augmented the simultaneous reduction of As and Cu leachability in a fairly aggressive leaching environment. These results highlight the importance of assessing stability and remobilisation of sequestered metals under varying environmental conditions for ensuring a plausible and enduring soil stabilisation.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in local waterbird eggs from Hong Kong: risk assessment to local waterbirds

The contamination status of the marine environment in Hong Kong was studied by measuring concentrations of organochlorine (OC) pollutants (i.e., hexachlorobenzene, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, mirex, total heptachlor, total chlordane, total DDTs, total PCBs, and total toxaphenes) in the eggs of selected waterbird species from different locations around the city: Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) and Chinese Pond Heron (Ardeola bacchus) from Mai Po Village, Great Egret (Ardea alba) and Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) from A Chau, and Chinese Pond Heron (A. bacchus) from Ho Sheung Heung. The mean concentrations of total PCBs and total DDTs ranged from 191-11 100 ng g⁻¹ lipid and 453-49 000 ng g⁻¹ lipid, respectively. Recent exposure of waterbirds to technical chlordane was found in Hong Kong. The risk characterization demonstrated potential risks to birds associated with exposure to DDE, which was found to cause a reduction in survival of young in Hong Kong Ardeids based on the endpoint in the risk assessment.     

Evaluation of the giant reed (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Arundo donax</Emphasis>) in horizontal subsurface flow wetlands for the treatment of recirculating aquaculture system effluent

Introduction

Two emergent macrophytes, Arundo donax and Phragmites australis, were established in experimental subsurface flow, gravel-based constructed wetlands (CWs) receiving untreated recirculating aquaculture system wastewater.

Materials and methods

The hydraulic loading rate was 3.75 cm day^?1. Many of the monitored water quality parameters (biological oxygen demand [BOD], total suspended solids [TSS], total phosphorus [TP], total nitrogen [TN], total ammoniacal nitrogen [TAN], nitrate nitrogen [NO₃], and Escherichia coli) were removed efficiently by the CWs, to the extent that the CW effluent was suitable for use on human food crops grown for raw produce consumption under Victorian state regulations and also suitable for reuse within aquaculture systems.

Results and discussion

The BOD, TSS, TP, TN, TAN, and E. coli removal in the A. donax and P. australis beds was 94%, 67%, 96%, 97%, 99.6%, and effectively 100% and 95%, 87%, 95%, 98%, 99.7%, and effectively 100%, respectively, with no significant difference (p?>?0.007) in performance between the A. donax and P. australis CWs. In this study, as expected, the aboveground yield of A. donax top growth (stems + leaves) (15.0?±?3.4 kg wet weight) was considerably more than the P. australis beds (7.4?±?2.8 kg wet weight). The standing crop produced in this short (14-week) trial equates to an estimated 125 and 77 t ?ha^?1 year^?1 biomass (dry weight) for A. donax and P. australis, respectively (assuming that plant growth is similar across a 250-day (September–April) growing season and a single-cut, annual harvest).

Conclusion

The similarity of the performance of the A. donax- and P. australis-planted beds indicates that either may be used in horizontal subsurface flow wetlands treating aquaculture wastewater, although the planting of A. donax provides additional opportunities for secondary income streams through utilization of the energy-rich biomass produced.

     

Comparisons of the dust/smoke particulate that settled inside the surrounding buildings and outside on the streets of southern New York City after the collapse of the World Trade Center, September 11, 2001

The collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) on September 11, 2001, generated large amounts of dust and smoke that settled in the surrounding indoor and outdoor environments in southern Manhattan. Sixteen dust samples were collected from undisturbed locations inside two uncleaned buildings that were adjacent to Ground Zero. These samples were analyzed for morphology, metals, and organic compounds, and the results were compared with the previously reported outdoor WTC dust/smoke results. We also analyzed seven additional dust samples provided by residents in the local neighborhoods. The morphologic analyses showed that the indoor WTC dust/smoke samples were similar to the outdoor WTC dust/smoke samples in composition and characteristics but with more than 50% mass in the <53-microm size fraction. This was in contrast to the outdoor samples that contained >50% of mass above >53 microm. Elemental analyses also showed the similarities, but at lower concentrations. Organic compounds present in the outdoor samples were also detected in the indoor samples. Conversely, the resident-provided convenience dust samples were different from either the WTC indoor or outdoor samples in composition and pH, indicating that they were not WTC-affected locations. In summary, the indoor dust/smoke was similar in concentration to the outdoor dust/smoke but had a greater percentage of mass <53 microm in diameter.